This blog is all about me - not my children, my job, my family. Just me. It's great to have a space of my own in the world! Thank you for being here and enjoy your stay!
"LIFE ISN'T ABOUT WAITING FOR THE STORM TO PASS.......... IT'S ABOUT LEARNING TO DANCE IN THE RAIN."

STAND BY ME

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

If you haven't visited this group before, you really should. It is absolutely one of my favorite groups and for LOTS of reasons. The members are spectacular ladies, incredible artists. The images (PID uses their own images in their art work) are gorgeous. The group owners are wonderful... can't beat it!

There is an image swap every month which I host. We use a different PID image every month and swap 5/5. This month (March) was Avery. This was my card for that swap. The flowers in the flower pot were made with Flower Soft, a very cool product.

There is also a house challenge right now which I did this house for using another PID image.

Friday, March 27, 2009

I am participating in a Circle Journal started by Ali Brandist in December. The last journal I received was Tracy Kaufman's. Tracy is a little "funky" in her personality and art and I wanted to make something that was consistent with my vision of her and her personality.

These are the pages I made for her. Her Circle Journal is now on it's way to Heather in England! Bon Voyage!

Thursday, March 26, 2009

I have always loved the look of Zetti art but have never tried it. It's so NOT ME!!! I am a "vintage" girl... or so I thought!! I decided that for this journal I was going to do things I'm not comfortable with... I'm going to force myself ot do things I have never done. I've always wanted to do a Zetti page so last night I sat down and did it. CREATE ART is the name of this page and I really love the way it looks. So maybe I am a "Zetti girl" after all!!!

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

I am involved in this wonderful project called THROUGHT THE EYES OF AN ARTIST which I have told you about already. Well, all these wonderful ladies are so excited and have put together these WONDERFUL journals which will start their adventure on March 31st! Some have already be completed, mailed and received!!! Notwithstanding these over-achievers the journey begins on March 31st!

I had so many ideas I considered and tossed... this weekend I sat down to do ONE thing and ended up doing something different!!! This is the final result for the front cover of my journal. This week I will finish the inside and back covers and the intro page.

The whole idea of this journaling (like the infamous traveling pants) is for women to take a look at themselves - totally narcissistic project - and where they are in their lives. The challenge for each artist is to do a layout about THEM, where they are in their lives, what they are feeling as women, as artists....

Hence the DOOR. It seemed so obvious after I sat down and thought about it. So many doors yet to open............... so me!! The door opens to a list of all the artists involved in the project... The "stain glass" on the door is made with transparency and alcohol inks; the door is a wonderful stamp by Stampers Anonymous. I stamped it onto light chipboard for the front of the door and then stamped it again on the chipboard using the back of the stamped image to make a "wood" back for the door. The door handle is the wonderful little knobs by Tim Holtz, the chain hanging from the door is the Tim Holtz chain charm with these wonderful colored fibers hanging from it.

The pictures are not good and do not do the colors justice but I will post better pictures when I get the rest done.

Monday, March 23, 2009

I have completed by Winged Nudes 3x5s for my on-line group Art4daSoul. I took all the pictures crooked so they didn't come out so great but you get the idea! They were a lot of fun to make. You can't really see it but the "window" is 3d (it's a gorgeous stamp from Stamper's Anonymous) and the "stained glass" on the windows is prima paintables painted with alcohol inks.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

What a week!!! I'm driving to Miami for Court every single day which in and of itself is a nightmare. I HATE driving to Miami - it takes hours to get past 20 miles of traffic! My clients are all brain dead this week - BRAIN F'IN DEAD!!! It's horrible!!! How stupid can people be????? Okay, I realize that divorce is traumatic and that hate gets in the way of good judgment but let's be REAL!!! On top of the fact that it's a stressful situation per se, the actions of some of these people amazes me even after 15 years of doing this!

And I come home to find my son and his fiance in the midst of their own "War of the Roses"! I could KILL him but first he's my son and I can't and second, going to prison at my age is just not an idea I relish. Why are men so STUPID?????? And of course I'm in a crappy situation - HE'S the jerk and HE'S my child!!! He is almost 30 years old for heaven's sake!!! When do I get a break????

Anyway, on to better things....

Our CIRCLE JOURNAL is getting under way! Sue Young, an amazing lady and artist has ALREADY not only DONE her covers, she has already forwarded it to the next artist!! UGGGHHH!!! Don't you just HATE over achievers?????? Everyone pretty much has their work done and ready to go but I have not even started mine!!! But I will have it ready to go by the 31st. I pretty much know what I want to do so it should be fast. The journey starts on the 31st! Can't wait!!!!!

Okay so this is the plan between now and Sunday:

1. I have to do 10 altered houses for Art4daSoul2. I have to do 10 4x4 altered collages for the Provence Swap3. I have to do 5 ATCs using Avery for PID4. I have to do 6 altered collaged post cards for PID5. I have to do 10 cards for OSA

PIECE OF CAKE!!! I figure if I don't work, eat or sleep I have just enough time.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Okay, time to go home. Tomorrow we leave toward the Keys and should be home by early afternoon. It was such a relaxing week. Exactly what I needed. Wish it could have been longer but can't complain.... I get more than most. I miss my dogs. I really do! I feel recharged and ready to juggle the many balls I have up in the air!

I have the following swaps to do by the 31st: Provence, PID Postcards, Mardi Gras, Avery, Cabinet Cards... I have Tracy's album and Martha's album waiting for me for Ali's circle journal, I have to finish my covers for Through the Eyes of an Artist and get that package together.... Oh yeah, and I have to work too! I will be in Miami every single day next week which will make things a little difficult to spend time on art but I can juggle - I am the QUEEN of juggling!!!!

Lord!!! So much to do and so little time! But I work best under pressure! Glutton for punishment!

Spent the day with Kaitlynn today.... she is so exhausting!!! I feel like I need another vacation! LOL!!! I will put some pictures up soon. Promise.

And I will post art - I've gotten lazy about it but I will from now on. Another week gone by, another month speeding by.... another idea to create. It's all good.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Rented a pontoon boat today and spent the day on Crystal River. There is a manatee refuge here which is doing wonderful work in protecting the manatees. They are such wonderfully tender and sweet creatures. It's so horrible how people hurt them - sometimes on purpose and sometimes by accident but ALWAYS by ignorance.

We saw dolphins and just had a really great day. It's so nice to disconnect. I must give my girls a raise at the office when I get back. THEY HAVE NOT CALLED ME ONCE!!! That, my friends is true love!!!

Tomorrow we head home. Will stop at CB Smith Park in Pembroke Pines to spend the day with my granddaughter (better known as "THE TERRORIST") and will be back home on Sunday - God willing. I really REALLY needed this break and will be back better than ever!!!! LOL!!! (Whatever THAT means!!!).

So much art to do..... so many people to defend...... ahhhhhh, feeling it ladies..... feeling it!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Wow, I can't believe it's been a month since I was on here!!! It is so scary the way days, weeks and months go by!

So many things going on!!! First, and most importantly at the moment, my husband and I left Key Largo in our motor home on Saturday, March 7th. I have been needing a break for a while and we decided to go to Savannah for a few days. We had originally planned to go to Tennessee but the ice on the roads sort of nixed that idea - it's scary to think of losing control of a 38' motor home on an icy road!!

We went to Savannah and spent Sunday, and Monday there. Savannah is such a great city - so much history! But it's only 2 1/2 miles so you can see the entire city in a day!!! Love it there though. Visited the old historic houses .... I'm TELLING you I was born in the wrong era!!! Actually, when you really get down to it, it was a horrible era in the early 1800s in Savannah with yellow fever killing so many people. It was certainly not an easy life - even for those that lived in the mansions! We visited the house of the lady who started the Girl Scouts (can't think of her name right now) and that was really cool too. By all accounts, at age 48 I would most likely already be dead if I had lived in the 1800s!!!! And I still consider myself a "youngster"!!!! LOL!!

We left Savannah and are now camping in Crystal River in North Florida. What a beautiful town this is. Lots of reading, sleeping, riding bicycles and taking long walks with my husband.... exactly what the doctor ordered!!! We will be going home on Friday to spend a few days with the kids in Miami before heading back to Key Largo.

Meanwhile, there are so many cool things happening! I started a circle journal with 12 wonderful ladies. It begins "circling" at the end of March and will be back in a year. Can't wait!! The project is called THROUGH THE EYES OF AN ARTIST. It goes something like this: each artist will create a journal. She will add enough pages to this journal so that each of the other 11 artists can do a two-spread layout. The theme is "ME". What each artist feels at the moment, where they are in their life... totally narcissistic and awesome! A glimpse at the individual through her art.

So many wonderful artists too!!! Eileen Bellomo, a New Yorker; Ali Brandst and Sharon McAllister from England, Sarah Walker and Lee Hynes from Australia, Tracy Kauffman from Washington, Lillian Mederak from Canada, Sue Young, Susie Walczak, Karen Mercado, Gina Gooding and yours truly!!! Each journal will make the rounds to each individual artist and upon completion will be an awesome journal!!! I plan to do other "rounds" once this one is completed and in this way take a little piece from all the wonderful artists I deal with on a day to day basis. I'm really excited about this project and so are all the girls! I'll keep you guys posted!!!